


Whole Again

by dreamchapel



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Drabble, Ficlet, Gothic, M/M, Slow Build, Tension, can i tag this as gothic literature bc thats just the whole au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-27
Updated: 2019-08-27
Packaged: 2020-10-01 21:23:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,850
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20409256
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dreamchapel/pseuds/dreamchapel
Summary: //Pure Light AUAn AU in which, due to the split between Ventus and Vanitas's hearts, Ventus's heart "overcompensated" for the missing darkness, completely taking over his physical and mental state and utterly erasing just about everything that made Ventus "Ventus".This is another drabble but this is gonna become a series too!!





	Whole Again

“Ven, don’t stray too far.” 

The boy clad in black turned to face the person speaking to him. 

“I won’t, Aqua. You needn’t worry,” he replied monotonously with his signature faint smile. 

Aqua nodded reluctantly, still worried for Ven’s health. Over time, his strange ailment had only weakened him further. His skin had turned an ashy grayish-beige, and streaks of platinum white began to creep across his messy blonde hair. Aqua had made certain to dress him only in the darkest of clothes as to absorb the pure light from within him and around him, hoping it would aid him and slow the destruction of his physical form—at least, that’s what Master Eraqus believed.

Ven held a large, black parasol above his head, shielding him from the outside light and casting a deep gray shadow over his ashen face. His expression never changed, and his smile never faltered or widened. 

“_ He’s nearly inhuman at this point. _” 

The words of her master and mentor echoed through Aqua’s mind as she gazed at the boy standing in front of her, taking in the ever-so-slowly decaying features of his body. It made her heart ache like nothing she had ever imagined. How could pure light, the element that kept the darkness at bay and kept the world in a peaceful state, be so very poisonous to someone? And, what had caused Ven to become _ infected _by light itself?

Aqua was shaken from her thoughts as she glanced up at Ven once more, who was now inching towards her to grant her a parting embrace. Aqua stepped back immediately, holding her hands in front of her as though she were defending herself.

_ She wondered if this light sickness was contagious. _

“V-Ven, you know Master Eraqus forbid you from any physical contact…,” Aqua spoke, nearly choking on her words. Having to deprive Ven, the person she had grown to love as her family, of the simplest affection made her want to break; but, she persevered in hopes that it would keep Ven’s condition from worsening.

Ven blinked at her for a moment, then simply nodded and stepped away, showing no sign of offense or upset at the gesture. He only continued to smile his sweet, empty smile. 

“I’ll be off then, Aqua.” 

With an almost-robotic movement, Ven turned the opposite way and began to trek down the marble stairway that led to the enormous castle’s courtyard. Aqua watched closely as the boy summoned his Void Gear, placing his folded parasol into a loose, black belt that hung across his shoulder. 

He quickly vanished into a swirling portal with a bright flash of light. Aqua shielded her eyes, as the light Ven produced from mere travel was akin to sunlight; bright, painful, and blinding.   
Worry quickly wormed its way into the pit of her stomach as she stared off into the now-empty courtyard where Ven had left the Land of Departure.

_ Please, please stay safe… _

* * *

* * *

Ven remained balanced and steady on his Void Gear as he drifted through the lanes between, gazing around aimlessly, looking for a world to enter. He was typically forbidden from even stepping outside of his own room, as the others who had taken care of him feared any small change could damage his health beyond repair. Today, however, had been a special occasion in which he was allowed to be outside and explore one new world. 

It was a rare occasion, but despite his circumstances, he never wished or longed for anything different. He didn't know what it even meant to wish for anything. Everything was always as it should be; he would forever be content with all, never feeling anything beyond serene, suffocating peace. 

Ven continued to fly forward, nearly deciding on a world to step into when suddenly, he was thrown off balance by a strong, unknown force. He regained his posture and stared dead ahead, seeing something… he had never seen before. 

Just mere inches in front of him hovered a masked person. A glossy, black glass shrouded their entire head, blocking it from Ven’s view. Their body appeared to be a strange combination of muscle tissue and tar, and bright red streaks running across their chest and shoulders broke up the otherwise solid black tint of their body. 

The masked person faced Ven, gazing directly at him for a few silent moments before spinning himself backwards and flying through a dark portal opening that had formed behind him. Ven followed suit, his curiosity getting the better of him as it always had. 

Ven found himself in an empty, dry wasteland of a world. The ground below was lifeless and barren. Parched, reddish-brown soil covered the seemingly endless desert area. There were no trees, plants, or animals within eyesight, and scattered, crumbling towers of rock formations appeared to be the only other landmarks to define the strange place.

He flew downwards, preparing to land while keeping an eye out for the person who had led him to this world. The masked person was nowhere in sight. 

_ Who were they, and what did they want with Ven? Were they a friend? Did they live in this world? _

Once reaching stable ground, Ven removed his Void gear and pulled out his black parasol, unfolding it and shrouding himself in a dark shadow once more.  
He gazed around, looking for the mysterious figure that had appeared to him only moments before. 

“Where is he hiding…,” Ven whispered to himself. As though on cue, he sensed a presence behind him after quietly murmuring his question. Ven slowly turned himself around, his movement mechanical as always. 

There stood the person he had seen between worlds, unmasked and staring at him with unmoving eyes.  
Ven had much difficulty reading expressions that weren't obviously positive. 

_ Was he scared? Was he shocked? What did those words really even mean? _

The boy’s eyes were a bright, piercing yellow, his hair a spiky and shaggy mess of deep black strands that partially obscured his face. It wasn’t a face Ven had ever seen before, but something still struck him as familiar about it….

There was a long, drawn out silence between the two. The other boy simply stared at Ven wide-eyed; it was an expression that Ven saw Terra, Aqua, and Master Eraqus wear frequently when they looked at him. 

Ven stepped forward.

“Hello! My name is Ventus, but you can call me Ven!” Ven greeted the other boy cheerfully. He never felt fear or unease anymore. 

The other boy quickly stepped back, keeping the distance between himself and Ven. He wore a confused expression; at least, Ven _ thought _it was confusion. It was almost as though he expected something completely different to occur. His mouth trembled as though he was attempting to speak, but his words failed him just before they passed through his lips. 

“Do you feel okay? Am I making you upset?” Ven questioned the boy all while smiling, once again showing no sign of anxiety or sadness.   
Ven’s question was legitimate and out of kindness, but his tone and face made him seem as though there was no real intent behind his words, as though he truly were a machine. 

This put off the other boy greatly.

“What's your _ deal _?!” The angry shout from the masked boy was resounding. Ven didn't react; he only stood smiling like a lifeless, porcelain doll. 

“What’s this whole getup you’ve got going on, too? Why are you acting so _ weird _ ? Aren’t you scared of me? Even a little unnerved?”  
The boy continued shouting words that seemed like nonsense to Ven. 

“Hello?!” The boy waved his hand in front of Ven’s face. “What’s _ wrong _ with you? Are you even paying _attention_ to me? Is there nothing in that thick skull of yours?!” The boy cried in frustration as he threw more and more aggressive questions towards Ven. 

They didn't faze him. He knew this boy was feeling something negative. This was a negative response to something, right? In fact, it seemed as though this boy’s entire demeanor was completely negative, just like the darkness Ven’s mentors had warned him about. 

“_ Ventus _!” The other boy snapped. Ven slowly lifted his eyes back up. He could sense a flurry of darkness building up within the boy, and it was unlike anything he had ever witnessed.

As if by instinct, Ven stepped forward and gently placed his right hand on the boy’s chest. The boy froze completely, as though terrified by the touch, but his face softened ever so slightly. 

Ven was knocked back as a wave of new emotions hit him. He felt a bombardment of different feelings he had long since forgotten: pain, sadness, envy, fear, and loneliness. It crashed over him and racked his entire form.  
But, as quickly as the emotions came, they were washed away by his own light, leaving his mind a blank slate again. 

Ven rose up off the hard, dry ground and faced the other boy. He, too, was curled up on the ground, sobbing and… smiling. 

A wide, toothy grin had spread across the boy’s face, replacing the scowl he wore before. Strange black tears streamed down his cheeks as he sobbed, clutching his knees to his chest and baring his teeth in a smile so wide it threatened to tear his face. Ven took notice of this and realized how similar the boy looked to him in that moment. Ven had many of his own crying spells from pure joy, his face always covered in white, shimmering tears and a wide, gaping smile stretching across his face.

It took a few moments longer for the other boy to return to his former emotional state. When he did, he simply stared at Ven, remaining silent and wide-eyed just as he was when the two had met minutes before. Ven slowly began to creep across the cracked soil, inching closer to the boy. The other boy flinched a bit, but didn't back away from Ven.

Ven smiled; however, this time his smile seemed wider than before, his eyes more open and less glazed over than usual. 

“You didn't tell me your name…” Ven whispered as he moved his head forward and closer to the other boy’s face. 

The other boy blinked and didn't speak for a few seconds.

“My name is Vanitas.” He murmured softly. 

Ven raised his hand and placed it against Vanitas’s shoulder this time. He felt another rush of emotion, this time not quite as powerful. He felt a combination of sadness, confusion, and regret course through his heart.   
Ven smiled, keeping his body close to Vanitas’s. 

“There’s a reason you've come to me, surely?” Ven asked, his curiosity piquing.

Vanitas nodded. Contrary to the way he behaved prior to their first touch, Vanitas seemed almost dazed, but peaceful.   
In that moment, the two had seemed to find a sort of middle ground between each other and themselves. 

In that moment, something had clicked between the two. 

“Ventus, you’re my other half that was torn from me years ago…,” Vanitas responded finally. Ven’s eyes widened slightly. 

Everything made sense now.

**Author's Note:**

> this ends off a bit cliff-hanger ish but this is just a oneshot, but again i'll be writing lots more for this AU along with my other AUs


End file.
